Ambur Star Chicken Biryani Recipe

Name: Ambur Star Chicken Biryani Recipe (Ambur Biryani Recipe)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 750 grams Chicken (bone in); ½ cup Coconut Oil; 1 stick Cinnamon; 10 no Cardamom; 6 no Cloves; 1 medium Onion (peeled & sliced thinly); 1 tbsp Yogurt (Curd); ½ cup Yogurt (Curd); 3 large Onions (Peeled & Sliced thinly); 3 tbsp Garlic Paste; 1 cup Coriander Leaves (chopped finely); 1 cup Mint Leaves (chopped finely); 2 tbsp Ginger Paste; 2 large Tomatoes (sliced thinly); 10 no Dry Red Chillies (Regular); 10 no Kashmiri Dry Red Chilli; 2 cups Seeraga Samba Rice; 1 tbsp Salt to taste; 3 litre Water (to cook rice)

Last Updated On: Feb 20, 2026 by Aarthi

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Ambur Star Biryani Recipe, Tamilnadu iconic biryani always has a special place in my heart. Unlike other biryani recipe, this one is made differently. It is cooked with seera samba rice, chicken, yogurt, herbs, red chilli paste, masala blend makes it so delicious.

Ambur Star Chicken Biryani

If you have followed me on Facebook, you must have noted that I made Ambur star biryani for lunch yesterday. I am sharing it the next day itself because I cannot wait so long. Because it turned out so good.

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About Ambur Chicken Biryani Recipe
Ingredients
Step by Step Pictures
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About Ambur Chicken Biryani Recipe

Ambur Star Biryani, Tamilnadu's most loved biryani. will always have a special place in my heart. This iconic biryani was started in 1890, byHaji M. Syed Khader in the small town of Ambur.

What began as a small food stall grew into one of the most famous biryani brands in South India.

Ambur biryani uses seeraga samba rice instead of basmati rice which is the speciality. Also the biryani doesn't have too much spice powders, it uses few simple whole spices. The colour and taste comes from the freshly ground red chilli paste and yogurt.

Chicken and mutton biryani are the most popular ones. It is usually served with biryani brinjal curry also known as brinjal dalcha (eggplant gravy) and onion raita.

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The main thing I love in this recipe is the simplicity, it don't have lots of spice powders like my other biryani recipe.

The main flavour is dried chilli paste and few whole spices. But the main thing is the addition of ingredients at the proper interval and proper timing.

Seera samba rice tends to get sticky that other rice, soaking them and cooking them to the right texture prevents that. Also use Nonstick casserole so nothing sticks when mixing.

Always make sure the chicken gravy taste is perfect. It should have extra spice and salt, because when you mix with rice, everything will get perfect.

So follow the exact method as I have given, you will taste the real Ambur flavours. I served this with Raita and Chettinad chicken fry. You can serve it with biryani brinjal masala which is the proper side dish for it.

Ingredients

Rice - use seera samba rice for making Ambur biryani, make sure to wash them well and soak before cooking.
Onions & Tomatoes - used to make the main chicken gravy.
Ginger & Garlic - since this doesn't uses spice powders, ginger garlic gives aroma.
Whole Spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves are used for the aroma.
Herbs - make sure to use lots of coriander leaves, mint leaves for taste.
Chicken - bone in chicken should be used for taste of the biryani.
Red Chillies - the colour for this Ambur biryani comes from the red chillies. I used a mix of regular chillies and Kashmiri chillies.
Curd - gives tangy taste and form the gravy base.

Step by Step Pictures

Chilli Paste

1)Wash rice really well in multiple changes of water. Soak them in water for 30 minutes. Set aside.

Start by soaking dry red chillies in hot water for 15 minutes. I used kashmiri red chillies and regular red chillies.

2)Take them in a blender and add very little water to make a smooth paste.

Tempering Spices

2)Heat oil in a pot. Add in whole spices. I am using cinnamon, cardamom, cloves in the oil. Let them sizzle in the oil.

3)Add a spoonful of yogurt into the oil and saute for 1 minute until it sizzles in the oil.

4)Add in sliced onions and cook the onions until golden brown.

5)Add in crushed garlic into the oil and fry them well. Cook for 1 minute before adding in herbs.

6)Now add in coriander leaves. Make sure to chop them fine.

7)Add in mint leaves. and saute well with the spices.

8)Add in ginger paste and mix well in the oil.

9)Cook all this in oil, so it flavours the oil.

Making Chicken Curry

10)Now add in chicken pieces, salt and mix well.

11)Let the chicken get some colour. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes.

12)Add in sliced onions, tomatoes into the chicken.

13)Mix that well into the chicken. Let it cook for 5 to 6 minutes so it disintegrates into the curry.

14)Now add in the remaining ingredients. Add in chilli paste. This is what gives the colour and flavour to the biryani.

15)Add in yogurt and mix everything really well.

16)Mix well. If this mix looks too dry for you, add some water.

17)Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked. it will take around 10 to 12 minutes.

18)Now the chicken curry is done. You have to remember, we are going to mix this with rice. So taste and adjust the salt, the curry should be little salty.

Cooking Rice

19)Bring lots of water to a full boil, season the water generously with salt.

20)Add in the soaked and strained rice.

21)Cook until the rice is 80 percent cooked. This step removes the starch from the rice and also half cooks the rice. Strain the rice and add directly into the chicken curry.

Putting Dum

22)Add rice to the chicken curry and toss immediately really well.

23)Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Place the whole pot on a tawa. Put the tawa on heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes on low heat. This is called as "DUM".

24)Ambur biryani is ready.

25)Fluff the rice gently, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Then serve.

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About Aarthi

Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

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